Mcdonald's Hot Coffee Incident

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Growing up, I had heard of the McDonald’s hot coffee case, but in multiple contexts. At the time, I was fairly certain that I understood the circumstances of the frivolous case and the jokes that came along with it. Through watching Hot Coffee and gaining exposure to accurate case details, I realized that the image I had in my head was entirely incorrect. By viewing Stella Libeck’s own account of the incident, seeing pictures of the unimaginably painful burns, and learning about how McDonald’s brewed its coffee at very high temperatures, I now understand how much something can be distorted through media and hearsay. After this revelation, I also understand how it can be difficult to ensure that jurors have no prior opinions/exposure to the case, especially when a case can become so publicly known, like in the case of McDonald’s hot coffee or the OJ Simpson trial. I also learned that the publication of torts to encourage tort reform can influence public perception of a case. …show more content…

Before business law class, I was not aware of how frequently arbitration is incorporated in contracts. Directly after watching Hot Coffee, I read through a recent internship offer. Almost hidden on the page, an arbitration clause was included. Before watching the film, I did not realize how much impact arbitration can have on a case, as depicted through Jamie Leigh Jones. As a result, I thought about the potential implications of my signature before moving forward. Jamie Leigh Jones’ case showed me that significant terms can be hidden in a contract, but be completely legal. This stresses the importance of reading documents before signing

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